Monday, January 20, 2014

As we move into 2014 I will post some of the things I am looking at and thinking over.

Here's one: We often hear that nutrition is 80% of the equation when it comes to achieving fitness goals. That is somewhat true / somewhat false. It depends on who is working toward what goal and what they have done previously. It can be hard to split best practice from the diet industry when there is so much mixed information. My thought is that whole/unprocessed foods are the way to go whenever possible. Limiting sugar is good. I don't like the word diet because it implies uncomfortable restriction and my preference is to bring the body into balance so that positive changes correspond with feeling better. Here's a TED Talk on Why dieting doesn't usually work by Sandra Aamodt. She emphasizes mindfulness as a key way to become more comfortable with food.

Here's another one: One tenent of my fitness philosophy is to train for function. I would like everyone I work with to be willing to find their athleticism, in whatever capacity suits them. Recently I've been enjoying MyMadMethods.com. They've got great free workouts, a couple of free ebooks and a members area if you are so inclined.

Last one for today: The study of willpower / motivation / personal development has a lot of crossover with health and wellness. I don't think that real change happens when we force or fight ourselves. We become successful when we get more intune with ourselves and introduce ourselves to more satisfying ways of being. Having an amazing thinking pattern specialist/hypnotherapist like Heron Saline in your life is awesome. If you are going it alone, I like Omvana for this type of thing though there are many other sites out there. Don't drive while you are listening! If you want to understand willpower, there's a great book by Kelly McGonigal called The Willpower Instinct. Definitely worth a read.

On a long term note, I am making a rough study of where the leading thinkers in evolutionary medicine, health and fitness, and the psychology of motivation agree. Most of the focus will be split into three categories: nutrition, fitness, and personal development. I am always interested in your thoughts and suggestions, so please feel free to message me: carey@careyrockland.com.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

It's been an epic year. There's one more month to rock out and then it will never be 2013 again. Before we hit 2014 I want to make sure that I've stared down the last of the 2013 demons and reached the best of the 2013 goals so I can jump forward with a clean slate.

Some thoughts for those of you metaphorically cleaning house right now:

1. What patterns are keeping you stuck? How can you adjust your thinking / behavior / strategy to get unstuck?

2. What's been successful and why? Can you apply that same strategy to another area of your life?

3. What have you given up in pursuit of your fitness goals, and what have you gotten while in pursuit of these goals?

4. What do you want to do next and why?

5. Are you focused on the journey or the outcome? How can the journey be more enjoyable and what makes the outcome a richer experience?

If you are choosing to hibernate right now, be deliberate about it. This is pre-season 2014! Leverage that hibernation so that you are ready to leap ahead come January. Embodiment is a life-long commitment and it gets richer as we develop our relationship with ourselves. Be creative, re-invent, make some inspiring changes, but most importantly, allow it to happen organically.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Have you ever gone for a night run and suddenly the urban landscape transformed into something much more beautiful? That feeling of cold night air in your lungs and registering light and sound differently unwires the sedentary routines that many of us fall into in the course of our lives.

I have gotten so much from full body strength and conditioning workouts that extend beyond any aesthetic or weight loss goal. The results I am referring to are the benefits of feeling alive, capable and powerful. When we feel that way we respect ourselves and we make good choices for ourselves.

Discipline is good, will power is good, but being on our own team is the most important thing. On-going positive change comes from being our own best friend, our own parent, our own hero. It can be hard to stay in that headspace but with practice it can become the default.

In time, great workouts feed us and then we continue the positive cycle and add the in healthy nutrition, the sleep, recovery time and efficiency that completes the circle. It can become compelling.

Here's a simple way to begin:

Three times a week take a 20 minute walk and do 5 push-ups and 10 step-ups (with good form!) on every park bench you pass. Vary your pace based on landmarks - i.e. - speed walk from the fire hydrant to the lamp post. Duck underneath railings and continue the duck-under zig-zag for the length of the railing. Hold onto handrail and hop up steps one leg at a time. Look for more options as you travel the landscape and PLAY.

If you're more advanced bring a pair of gloves to protect your hands and run the course. Add jumps, bear crawls, crab walks, lunges, split jumps, pull-ups, recline rows, burpees on and off different surfaces, hill runs. Extend the time limit.

Good nutrition means eating whole foods and staying away from processed foods as much as possible.
A simple change that yields quick results is to cut the sugar. Eliminate sugary drinks and sweets, or at least cut down in quantity. If weight loss is a goal, cut meal sizes down by 1/4 to start, reduce snacking (think of them as small meals instead) and see how you feel. Hydrate adequately but not too much!

We will begin posting our Bay-Fit weekly workout challenge each Sunday night along with a sample workout. Stay tuned and stay in touch. Happy Training!!!